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“I cannot.”
“Why not?” I grip the edge of the table, my fingers digging deep enough into the wood to leave imprints. “Tell me.”
Each command causes the Void Prince’s crimson eyes to burn with greater fury. “The spell requires an item.”
“What item?”
“An object which belonged to them. I require traces of the person’s soul to cast the spell.”
“How recently must it have belonged to them?” I ask, thinking of Arluin’s dusty robes hanging in the long vacant Harstall manor.
“A few months. After that, any traces will have faded.”
I press my lips together. There goes my idea of using Arluin’s old clothes. “Are there no alternatives?”
“No.”
I sigh and run my hand down my neck. If there’s no way of tracking Arluin, how will I find him?
My fingers snag on the delicate chain hanging around my neck. I lift the locket and roll the silver heart between my fingers. Until now, I forgot I was wearing it.
“What about an object enchanted with their magic?” I ask. “Even if it’s been a few years?”
“It depends how much magic remains.”
“What if the spell is active?”
“Then it’s possible.”
“Perfect.” I sweep aside the long strands of my hair and unclasp the heart-shaped locket. “You will use this.” I slide the necklace to the Void Prince.
“The spell will destroy the locket.”
All I want is to see it burn. And if this treacherous item can further my path to vengeance, all the better. “That won’t be a problem. You will cast this spell and locate the man whose magic resides inside this locket.”
The Void Prince closes his eyes and inhales slowly. The locket bursts into obsidian flames. Dark plumes of smoke seep out. The demon reopens his eyes, and the haze sharpens, forming an image of a town with narrow streets and waves rolling in the distance. Arluin and his necromancers ride through the town, and the crowd parts to avoid being trampled.
The demon waves his hand, and the dark flames extinguish. Nothing remains of the locket. My only regret is I didn’t obliterate it with my own flames.
“Where was that?” I demand.
“Lenris Port.”
“That’s east of here, isn’t it? Along Tirith’s western coast?”
“Indeed.”
We magi can only teleport to locations we’ve previously visited, and I’ve unfortunately never been to Lenris Port. In fact, I’ve never once set foot off Nolderan’s island, which means travel won’t be easy. But maybe the Void Prince has visited Lenris Port. “Have you been there? Can you teleport us across?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Do they not teach you anything in the Arcanium? It seems magi education has declined even more so over this past millennium.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Teleportation only works with aether. As a demon, I cannot wield any magic except that of darkness. You do understand how teleportation works and why it can only be cast with aether, don’t you? I would hope the magi taught you that much.”
